Alive, but not living
by Cookie Seller On The Dark Side
Summary: "How can you live, when so many people seem to want you dead?"..."How do I live," I mused. "I suppose I just don't." FAX. AU. Fang/Max.


**A/N: Just finsished the stories, and loved them! Just to get this whole darn thing clear: takes place in The Angel Experiment as Angel is getting saved.**

**Summary: **

**"How can you live, when so many people seem to want you dead?"**

**"How do I live," I mused.**

**"I suppose I just don't."**

**Rating:**

**T.**

**Main characters: **

**Fang &  
**

**Max.**

**Gender:**

**Romance & Tragedy.**

**Story:**

**Alive, but not living.**

**By:  
Cookie Seller on The Dark Side.**

**Prologue:**

**Fairy tale gone wrong.**

* * *

_ Did you forget  
That I was even alive?  
Did you forget  
Everything we ever had?  
Did you forget?  
Did you forget  
About me?_

_Did you regret (did you regret)_  
_Ever standing by my side_  
_Did you forget (did you forget)_  
_What we were feeling inside?_  
_Now I'm left to forget_  
_About us_

_But somewhere we went wrong_  
_We were once so strong_  
_Our love is like a song_  
_You can't forget it_

_So now I guess_  
_This is where we have to stand_  
_Did you regret_  
_Ever holding my hand?_  
_Never again_  
_Please don't forget_  
_Don't forget_

_We had it all_  
_We were just about to fall_  
_Even more in love_  
_Than we were before_  
_I won't forget_  
_I won't forget_  
_About us_

_But somewhere we went wrong_  
_We were once so strong_  
_Our love is like a song_  
_You can't forget it_

_Somewhere we went wrong_  
_We were once so strong_  
_Our love is like a song_  
_You can't forget it_  
_At all_

_And at last_  
_All the pictures have been burned_  
_And all the past_  
_Is just a lesson that we've learned_  
_I won't forget_  
_Please don't forget us_

_Somewhere we went wrong_  
_Our love is like a song_  
_But you won't sing along_  
_You've forgotten_  
_About us_  
_(Don't forget)_

_-Don't forget, by Demi Lovato._

You know that human phrase: Lived happily ever after. Yeah, well. It turns out that saying only works in fairy tales, like, I've got wings, but I'm not a fairy.

Oh yeah, introductions: Hi, my name is Maximum Ride. Call me Max. (That wasn't a question).

Now, back onto the subject of fairy tales.

Well, I understand they usually include a prince and a princess, and maybe some sort of villain, but the heroes always succeed. Which is were happily ever after comes in. Sorry to burst your bubble, kids, but that doesn't happen in real life.

The truth is, this prince didn't believe the princess, after she saved her fl- family. No, but he did believe he was right.

The prince's theory was that the princess didn't want to live with her family... and that she betrayed them. By then the princess could write a darn dictionary paragraph on: betrayed.

And misery. And regret. And... and hope.

Hope. The thing we all feed upon.

We use it to dream, to fight... to live on.

But I didn't live on it. Oh yes, I was _alive_.

Ah, but life has fairness, like karma. I remember tossing and turning in bed, wondering why my life had taken a turn for the worse, after I saved my fl- family. There I go again. Flock.

_Flock: a group of animals, usually birds._

_2. To flock together: gather._

Yeah, birds. My flock and I were brought up in a facility called "The School", a laboratory where we were mutated after being stripped from our homes or hospitals. Half-bird, half-human. Freaks. That's what we were. And don't bother with comfort, I can see you now:

"_Oh, Max. You're not freaks, you're all just different!_"

Well, we were both.

Different freaks, what a lovely mix. But we couldn't care less. Sure, parents sound nice. And a home. But we're enough for each-other.

Truth is: we loved flying.

Spreading your wings, leaping, rising higher and higher, the wet clouds fresh on your face.

I miss doing that.

Yeah, I can _not_ fly no more. And maybe you want to hear the fairy tale you expected, so here:

**000000**_**FAX**_**_FAXFAXFAXFAXFAXFAXFAXFAX!_000000**

_It was just the two of them. Jeb Batchelder, brown/blonde hair and the bluest color eyes with a beam on his face. Then you have Maximum Ride, brownie blonde hair with sunstreaks, hazel brown eyes with a shocked epression on her face. They were in a smaller lab in the huge "School". Pristine white walls, marbel tiles and cream cuboards... and a locked black door._

_The whitecoat- evil wizard (Fairy-tale, remember?) - dared smile at her. After all he had done, he could still look in her eys and grin. "Weapons down, Max. I just need to talk to you."_

_Max- the princess- just stood there. She opened her mouth to spew many obscenities, but she came out with a single "Why?"_ _**BANG!** Went the door, and it shuddered as the wait of five mutant bird/human freaks banged on the door.  
_

_"MAX! We're coming for you!"_

_"Ah, Max," Jeb sighed, ignoring the yelling outdoors. "You do know you are the cause of your friends misfortune. Give up, and they'll be safe."  
_

_Princess Max realized her mind was working again, and snarled furiously: "Adults shouldn't lie!" The door banged again and people screamed her name.  
_

_Evil Wizard/ Jeb/ the whitecoat smiled. Again. "Who says I'm lying?" **BANG!**  
_

_"The whole flock! When have you been anyway helpful?"  
_

_Jeb's smiled tightened, like it was hard to create an answer. "Now."  
_

_"What?" **BANG!** The door's lock was loosening very quickly...  
_

_"Now." He frowned, looking at his expensive Rolex watch, then at the bulging door. "Quickly, common Max, you know I'm telling the truth. Give up, and the others won't hurt your friends. Keep fighting... well, let's just say your friends are extendable..."_

_Max actually gulped, she hadn't in a while, but she showed some fear. Score one for the evil wizard._

_"We'll ignore them, besides, we couldn't track them with you out of the way. That chip on a human... who cares!"_

_"Human?" Asked the mutant princess, her eyes went wide. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be...  
_

_"Human." The evil wizard Jeb confirmed. "Now, death for your friends, or life for the both of you and your group?" How could he say that in such a light hearted vouce? He was talking about** murdering her friends**!  
_

_"Max, we're coming in!" Screamed a young voice. Nudge. "Don't worry, we've almost opened it now! You'll be OK!" Definitely Nudge._

_"So, have we got a deal?" Asked Jeb, smirking in a confident way that said "I know I've got her at that!". _

_She thought about the group.. little Angel, she had just been saved- but to be captured again because of Max. No. Max couldn't- wouldn't!- let that happen. Never. _

_So she nodded her head mutely. "Yes, but you HAVE to leave them alone." She finally whispered, though her voice raised at the word: have. She had no choice. The flock was worth the most.  
_

_He gave her a toothy smile. "Take this," he said, handing her a vial. Seeing Max's skeptical glance, he told her: "It's the anti-formula of what made you what you are. We gave the mutating one to your mother when she was pregnant. Now, this will take away the wings and super-human strength. Bottoms up."_

_She looked at the gloopy purple liquid in disgust. _

**_BAAAAAAAANNNNNNNGGGGGGG!_**

_The door creaked and Max realized she had little time. "Bottoms up." She repeated, taking a last glimpse at the revulting formula. And then she downed it._

_The pruple ooze travelled down her body at an unusually quick speed, and the effect became immediate._

_"Ughh." She moaned, slumping to her knees. _

_Pain. Incredible pain was all she felt._

_She glared up at Jeb, noting that his mouth was moving but no words came out audible. At least, they weren't for her._

_She fell further, on her hands and knees now as she began hacking powerfully. Small purple splotches staining the no-longer spotless tiles. But Jeb made no reaction, but he seemed satisfied._

_Was he trying to kill her! Probably._

_To her shock- since things couldn't get any worse, right?- her head began spinning. Her back felt like it was shrinking, and her bones began changing position, grounding loudly. _

_She groaned again as her sight became less clear, and though her hearing had eventually returned, it was much less strong then it previously had been._

_As was she, herself. She felt weak- naked, even. Though her shoulders' felt like they had just been relieved from long labour.  
_

_She found the power to stand up, and looked at the whitecoat warily. **So tiiired...** "Keep your promise."_

_He grinned. (How many times does he have to do that?) Then stuck out his hands. "I shake on it."_

_She sleepily put her hand out, and Jeb grasped it._

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

_The door crashed open as the hinges broke from the weight._

_And her friends observed in absolute horror as Max shook the villains hand._

_Iggy's voice ended the silence: "What is it?"_

_"Max, are you okay? Em- what are you doing? Come on, we need to get out!" Nudge said.  
_

_Max opened her mouth to scream: "It's not what it looks like!" when the Prince said coolly, with a touch of coldness: "I think she's chosen to stay, Nudge. We'd better go."_

_"No, Fang! You don't understand! I'm-"  
_

_"Giving up." Ended Fang, in a very different way from what Max was about say._

_"N-" Then she realized she was giving up. She, don't-call-me-Maximum-call-me-Max Ride had officially... given up? _

_No! _

_No? _

_Yes? _

_Yes. She had given up.  
_

_"Maz, where are your wings?" Cried out The Gasman._

_"Gone," said Iggy, then he spat. "You really have given in!"_

_"No, Iggy!" She said, furious at herself because she was sobbing, extremely audibly.  
_

_But Iggy shook his head. "Fang's right, we'd better fly. And don't follow us, Ride, you gave up your wings, remember?" Said Fang, spitting at the ground just like Iggy had done. But Max could hardly register this. Fang had called her "Ride"?_

_Four began running, but Angel stayed. "Max?" She siad quitely. "Your not a bad guy, are you?"_

_NO!_

_Then Fang flew back, wings like a bee, and scooped up Angel. They disappeared at a speed her newly human eyes couldn't see at._

_Then Max ran, something she wasn't proud of. Whether it was to impossibly catch up with the flock, or out of fear and misery she couldn't tell._

_**Run, run, run!** Screamed her voice mockingly, causing her to wonder why it was still there. **Return to Dr. Valencia Martinez and Ella, you will find safety there, girl, GO!**_

_So she ran, ran through a town and saw a taxi. Helpful. But she had no money... wait! Ari's cash!_

_She waved for the taxi to stop, entered, then remembered that she didn't know the name of her house!_

_"Beside a forest." She managed._

_"Kingsley forest?"_

_"Yeah." She said in relief. That had to be it, right? **Oh, I hope.** (See that conniving little word!)  
_

_And when when the two reached the place and exited the car... Maximum Ride ran again._

_It turns out she had to do that a lot, now._

There. That's it.

That shouldn't of happened. The scene should've been; me yelling at Jeb about the pain; seeing them; telling them to run; finding safety; explaining it; and... a happily ever after for us. They probably would have understood. They're like that. But... I had never ever ever seen Fang so dangerously calm... or with that angry gleam in his eyes... and a hint of betrayal?

I guess you could call that a fairy tale gone wrong.


End file.
